Automatic points and fines for drivers who ignore motorway red X lane closures

Drivers in England who ignore smart motorway lane red X closures could soon be punished with automatic points and fines, under new laws. 

Drivers who ignore red X signs will face £100 fines and three penalty points as part of new rules to automatically enforce motorway lane closures. 

It is already illegal to ignore a lane closure on the motorway, but the police can only act against drivers caught in the act. From late-summer, thousands of overhead cameras that are installed on hundreds of miles of smart motorway across England will be used to catch drivers who ignore the rules.

The law change follows a type approval from the Home Office for camera upgrades and a period of testing. Highways England says that red Xs are used to signify closed lanes on motorways, to protect drivers in difficulty, or when road workers and emergency services need a safe space to work.

"We welcome this auto-enforcement and the increase to driver safety it will bring," said Highways England spokesperson Mike Wilson. 

“Most drivers comply with lane closures, but the minority of people who don’t are putting themselves and other road users at real risk. We welcome this auto-enforcement and the increase to driver safety it will bring.”

Speaking to ITV, AA president Edmund King, said the law change was a "welcome measure to improve safety".

He added: “Our research shows that one in 20 drivers continue to drive in red X lanes even when they’ve seen it, and so far Highways England have written warning letters to over 180,000 drivers about their actions."